Multinational validation of distant metastasis velocity as a post-progression prognostic score in patients with oligometastatic cancer treated with metastasis-directed stereotactic body radiotherapy.

Background: Distant progression is the predominant failure pattern after metastasis-directed stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for oligometastatic disease, but prognostic tools to guide post-progression management are lacking. We aimed to validate the prognostic value of distant metastasis velocity (DMV) for overall survival (OS) and widespread failure-free survival (WFFS) after distant progression.

Methods: Two independent international cohorts of patients with extracranial oligometastatic disease (≤5 lesions) who developed distant progression after SBRT were analyzed.

Female breast cancer burden among adolescent and young adults in North Africa.

Introduction: This study examines the growing burden of breast cancer among adolescents and young adults (AYAs, ages 15-39) in North Africa from 1990 to 2021. Despite breast cancer primarily affecting postmenopausal women, its increasing incidence among AYAs presents unique clinical and biological challenges that remain under explored in North Africa.

Methods: Using Global Burden of Disease 2021 data, we analyzed temporal trends in AYA breast cancer incidence and mortality across North Africa compared to other global regions (seven GBD super regions and Central Africa, Eastern Africa, Northern Africa, Southern Africa, and Western Africa).

Osteoradionecrosis as a complication following post-operative intensity-modulated radiation therapy or proton therapy for oral cavity cancer.

Objective: To report the prevalenceof osteoradionecrosis (ORN) in oral cavity (OC) cancer patients following intensity-modulation radiation therapy (IMRT) or proton therapy (PRT).

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on consecutive cohort of OC cancer patients treated with IMRT or PRT for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Patient information and treatment related variables were collected from medical records.

Head and Neck Cancer in Southeast Asia: 2022 Incidence, Mortality, and Projections to 2050.

Objectives: To characterize the incidence, mortality, and disparities in head and neck cancer (HNC) across Southeast Asia (SEA) in 2022 and project trends to 2050 to inform cancer planning.

Methods: We conducted a population-based analysis using 2022 Global Cancer Observatory data from 11 SEA countries. We analyzed cancers of the lip and oral cavity, salivary glands, oropharynx, nasopharynx, hypopharynx, larynx, and thyroid.

Screening for Financial Toxicity and Health-Related Social Risks in Patients With GI Cancer: Results From a Large Cancer Center.

Purpose: Patients with GI cancers often face significant financial toxicity (FT) and health-related social risks (HRSRs), yet best practices for screening remain unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of FT and HRSR and identify associated factors.

Methods: From June 2022 to August 2023, patients were screened using the Comprehensive Score for Financial Toxicity (COST), patient-reported HRSR (eg, housing, food insecurity), and quality of life (QOL).

Global Disparities in Current Clinical Trials in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.

Purpose: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is characterized by a distinct geographic distribution, with more than 90% of worldwide incidence and mortality occurring in East/Southeast Asia and Northern Africa. Clinical trials that inform evidence-based care must represent the target population of NPC; however, little is known about their geographic distribution and the extent to which they investigate radiation therapy (RT), which plays a central role in NPC management.

Methods And Materials: Using ClinicalTrials.

Financial toxicity of hemophilia care in Southeast Asian countries.

Hemophilia is a rare, chronic bleeding disorder with high treatment costs that pose significant economic challenges, particularly in many countries of Southeast Asia (SEA), where disease burden is disproportionately high. In this commentary, we explore the drivers of financial toxicity (FT) in hemophilia care across SEA. We identify key contributors including inadequate health insurance coverage, reliance on unstable humanitarian aid, geographic disparities in care access, and cultural factors that place financial and emotional strain on families.

Long-Term Results of External Beam Radiation Therapy with or Without Concurrent Chemotherapy in Differentiated Thyroid Cancer.

A rare group of patients with differentiated thyroid cancers (DTCs) will have gross residual disease or recurrence following the standard primary therapies of surgical resection and radioactive iodine. In these patients with advanced DTC no longer amenable to further surgery, systemic, or radioactive iodine therapies, external beam radiation therapy (RT) is considered. Whether to add concurrent chemotherapy (CRT) to radiation for patients with advanced DTC remains unclear.

The Burden of Genitourinary Malignancies in Southeast Asia from 1990 to 2021.

Background And Objective: The global burden of genitourinary (GU) cancers is rising; yet, the specific burden on the diverse population of 700 million in Southeast Asia (SEA) remains poorly understood. This study presents the most updated trends in the incidence and mortality of bladder, kidney, prostate, and testicular cancer patients across SEA from 1990 to 2021.

Methods: Data from the Global Burden of Disease 2021 database were analyzed for the incidence, deaths, and age-standardized rates by sex and age of patients with four major GU cancers across 11 SEA countries from 1990 to 2021.

Enhancing global cancer care for sexual and gender minority populations: regional perspectives and global implications.

Little is known about cancer disparities faced by diverse sexual and gender minority (SGM) populations globally, with unique barriers in many low-income and middle-income countries. This Viewpoint examines the intersectional challenges faced by SGM groups across multiple settings in accessing high-quality equitable cancer care. In India, the Hijra population (a legally recognised third gender) experiences compounded discrimination due to stigma and socioeconomic marginalisation.